Speakers at a discussion underscored the need for ensuring nutrition for all particularly mothers, adolescents and children to promote their health conditions for building healthy nation.
“As the nutrition is the cornerstone of good health and optimal energy at every stage of human life, it is very essential to eat nutritious food for all to maintain human body in a sound state”, they said. They came up with the observation on Monday while addressing a meeting of the District Nutrition Coordination Committee (DNCC) at the conference room of Deputy Commissioner (DC) office in Gaibandha. DNCC arranged the meeting with the financial support of Sustained Opportunities for Nutrition Governance (SONGO) project funded by the European Union .
Presided over by DC Abdul Matin the meeting was addressed among others by Deputy Director of local government section of DC office Rokhsana Begum and Mayor of Gaibandha Municipality Advocate Shah Masud Zahangir Kabir Milon . Civil Surgeon Dr. ABM Abu Hanif, Member Secretary of the committee, made a power point presentation on nutrition affairs.
CS Dr Hanif said the government had adopted nutrition policy and initiatives to provide quality and safe food for all section of people of the country to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 declared by UNDP.
Mostafa Nurul Islam Reza, operation lead, SONGO project, ICCO Cooperation, also made a presentation on Nutrition Status of Gaibandha district and overview of SONGO project through multimedia projector. “The percentage of stunning children in the district is 54 while its percentage at national level is 36; Reza said adding that the percentage of underweight children in the district is 37 while its percentage at national level is 33.” The presentation said The five year project is being implemented by RDRS Bangladesh and ICCO Cooperation in Sadar, Sundarganj, and Fulchhari upazilas of Gaibandha district and Chilmari, Roumari, and Rajibpur upazilas under Kurigram districts from September 2018 for improving maternal and child nutrition, he mentioned.
A set of recommendations as well as various action plans were also adopted in the meeting while Taufiqul Islam, Nutrition Governance Adviser of SONGO project moderated the meeting.
DC Abdul Matin in his concluding speeche said nutrition for all had been mentioned in the SDGs, so there is no alternative to ensuring nutrition for all within the specific time.
The DC also urged all the members of the committee to work sincerely for making the objectives and the goals of the committee more effective and successful in the district so that the committee might be a model one in the country.
